This could be the rationale of bettors at the Cantor Gaming sportsbooks, where the Chiefs have been well-received by both sharps and recreational players looking for an alternative to Denver, Cantor spokesperson Ken Miller said this week.

The Chiefs are 5-to-1 to win the AFC West at Cantor, the second betting choice behind Denver, the heavy, heavy division favorite at 2-to-9. The Chiefs opened as the third choice in the West at 7-to-1, but their odds have fallen as the money has shown on Kansas City.

While the Chiefs were a feeble 2-14 in 2012, the widespread expectation is they will be significantly better this season.

“They’ve got some talent on that team on both sides of the football,” Miller said of the Chiefs, who had six Pro Bowlers a season ago.

Kansas City made sweeping changes at season’s end, parting ways with head coach Romeo Crennel and GM Scott Pioli. The club quickly moved to add ex-Eagles head coach Andy Reid, known for his work with quarterbacks. Then, the Chiefs made a change at quarterback, trading for Alex Smith and releasing Matt Cassel.

While Smith couldn’t hold off Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco, he’s likely to be an upgrade on Cassel, who faltered in his final two seasons in Kansas City. And while Reid’s last two seasons in Philadelphia were forgettable, he brings instant credibility to Kansas City, which was a “rudderless ship” last season, as Miller put it.

Add it all up, and the Chiefs make for an intriguing sleeper pick for 2013. The question is, has the bandwagon already filled to capacity?

If you like the Chiefs to bounce back in 2013, you aren’t alone. The Chiefs’ win total at Cantor has moved from 6.5 to 7, with the OVER and UNDER at the standard -110. Also, the Chiefs’ divisional odds could be a touch short for a team that, after all, lost seven times as many games as it won in 2012.

But while the Chiefs aren’t without their drawbacks, they may simply be the only real challenger to Denver.

The Chargers, who are 7-to-1 to win the West at Cantor, have failed to make the postseason in each of the last three years as their talent level has fallen drastically in that time. If the Chargers couldn’t best the Cassel-led Chiefs in 2010 or the Tim Tebow-led Broncos in 2011 and lost twice to Denver in 2012, how are they going to make up all of that ground this year?

At least the Chargers enter training camp with an accomplished and clear-cut starting quarterback in Philip Rivers. The Raiders? They don’t have that luxury. Former Seahawks and Packers quarterback Matt Flynn looks like the favorite to capture the starting job, and perhaps he will run away with it, considering Oakland doesn’t exactly have a passer the caliber of Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson to challenge him.

But even if Flynn plays at the top of his capabilities, the Raiders are still no sure-thing to be even a mere annoyance in the West. The Raiders are a wing-and-a-prayer 18-to-1 to win the division at Cantor; they opened at 15-to-1. Considering the strong loyalty of their backers, it may say something that those odds have floated upward.

And considering the overall state of the AFC West, no one would be surprised if the Broncos were division champions for a third straight season. Their presence in Super Bowl XLVIII wouldn’t come out of nowhere, either. In fact, they are 9-to-2 favorites to win the Lombardi Trophy at Cantor Gaming, overtaking the Patriots, who were 6-to-1 favorites when Cantor opened the betting, Miller said.

As of Wednesday, New England was 9-to-1 win the NFL title, the fourth choice behind Denver, San Francisco (6-to-1) and Seattle (7-to-1). The Patriots’ luster has faded to the point that ESPN analyst and 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Bill Parcells suggested Wednesday on a media conference call that the Dolphins could potentially challenge the Patriots in the AFC East.

“I think their division is such that they can be competitive, and even maybe have a chance to win it, so I’m hopeful that goes well for them,” Parcells said of the Dolphins, for whom he once worked.

There’s no doubting the Dolphins have improved this offseason. We can also say the same about the Chiefs. However, whereas the Patriots are materially weaker than a season ago, it’s difficult to say the same about the Broncos, who spent big in free agency and can take the loss of pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil in stride because of the presence of Von Miller.

In fact, the Broncos may be better than in 2012 -- and they were a half-dozen games clear of the AFC West field last season. Clearly, the betting public at Cantor likes what they have seen. The Broncos’ win total has increased a half-game from the opening of betting, rising from 11 to 11.5, Ken Miller said.

Hey, the Broncos could stumble. But if you like the Chiefs, Chargers or even Raiders in the West, you are going to need a big, big Denver misstep to see your team atop the division at season’s end.